Communication Sciences and Disorders, M.A.
Saint Louis University
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Enjoy a tight-knit community and utilize an on-campus clinic as you prepare for a career as a speech-language pathologist or an audiologist.
Saint Louis University's Paul C. Reinert, S.J. Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic has been serving the St. Louis community for more than 50 years. It provides clinical services to people with speech, language or hearing problems. The clinic operates as a no-fee clinic, allowing us to serve a wide range of clientele who may otherwise not have the resources to afford assessment or treatment. There are five components to the clinic: speech and language, audiology, early childhood language and literacy, aural rehabilitation and community outreach.
Saint Louis University's Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. The Master's of Arts degree is a two-year, six-semester program which starts in the summer semester. The program is designed to prepare professionals to provide evidence-based high-quality services to persons with communication and swallowing disorders. A focus of the program is to develop clinicians who are prepared to serve culturally and linguistically diverse populations across the life span.
Students must have a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders or speech-language pathology to apply to the graduate program. Students interested in the communication sciences and disorders graduate degree that have a bachelor's degree in a different discipline can complete the SLU CSD Leveling Option before applying.
SLU's Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders is a two-year graduate program with a typical class size of 30 to 40 students. Over the past three years, the program’s graduation rate is 97%, while the Praxis pass rate and the employment rate of the graduating class is 99%. Graduate students will complete a clinical practicum in each term; the program is six semesters, including two summers, and students begin the program in the summer semester.
SLU's Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders program is six semesters, including two summers. Students begin in the summer.
All graduate students must complete 46 credits, including a required clinical practicum each term. Research students will also complete a thesis for six elective credits.
Students must enroll in five terms (semester or summer) of zero-credit clinical practicum during their study. Additionally, six credits of off-campus clinical practice are completed during the last semester of study.
Other required courses include:
A major strength of SLU's M.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders is the wide variety of clinical practicum experiences available to graduate students. The department has strong working relationships with hospitals, schools, rehabilitation facilities and community clinics in St. Louis and surrounding areas.
Students will experience at least three separate off-campus clinical placements, often obtaining 50 clinical hours or more at each site. Additionally, students gain experience in SLU's Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic. During their last semester, students are ready for a full-time internship, consisting of placements in both medical and educational settings. Students typically obtain considerably more than the minimum clock hours required by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and are well-prepared to begin their professional careers.
Graduates have gone on to careers at public and private schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, home health agencies, clinics, private practices and universities. Speech-language pathology is rated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as one of the fastest-growing professions in the country — it’s predicted to grow 27% by 2028. The median annual salary for a speech-language pathologist in 2018 was $75,510.
Applicants must have an undergraduate degree in communication science and disorders or have successfully completed the prerequisite courses in the field.
Individuals with a bachelor's degree in a different discipline are not eligible for admission into the graduate program until completion of the undergraduate prerequisite courses. Students may be eligible for admission into the communication sciences and disorders leveling program.
Students must meet clinical practicum eligibility requirements for participation in the required clinical practicum.
All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:
Students who want to be considered for an assistantship must submit their application by Feb. 1.
The department admissions committee will begin the review of the applications after the Feb. 1 deadline. Each application and supporting materials are comprehensively reviewed for admission consideration.
Students who are offered admission to the program will receive an assistantship application at the time of their acceptance notification.
The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders adheres to the national deadline of April 15 to extend offers of admission to applicants as set forth by American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Council of Graduate Schools.
The leveling option is designed for students who wish to pursue a graduate degree in speech-language pathology or audiology and who already have a baccalaureate degree in a different discipline. The curriculum (33 credits) of the leveling option is based on the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders undergraduate curriculum and is designed to provide the courses necessary to apply to a graduate program in one of these professions.
For priority consideration for graduate assistantship, applicants should complete their applications by Feb. 1.
For more information, visit the student financial services office online at http://finaid.slu.edu.
For more information about the SLU Communication Sciences and Disorders program Student Outcomes Data (completion rates, Praxis exam pass rates, and employment rates), CAA complaint policy, and Accreditation Information, please see Student Outcome Data and Accreditation Information below
Students in the communication sciences and disorders master's program take the following courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| CSDI 5010 | Clinical Practicum Lecture (Multiple Semesters) | 0 |
| CSDI 5030 | Student Teaching in Communication Sciences and Disorders | 6 |
| or CSDI 5910 | Clinical Internship | |
| CSDI 5050 | Research for the Clinician | 2 |
| CSDI 5450 | Speech Sound Disorders in Children | 2 |
| CSDI 5510 | Social Communication Development and Disorders | 2 |
| CSDI 5530 | Augmentative and Alternative Communication | 2 |
| CSDI 5550 | Early Childhood Language Disorders | 3 |
| CSDI 5560 | School-Age Language Disorders | 3 |
| CSDI 5600 | Fluency Disorders | 3 |
| CSDI 5630 | Dysphagia | 3 |
| CSDI 5700 | Voice Disorders | 2 |
| CSDI 5710 | Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Anomalies | 2 |
| CSDI 5720 | Neurogenic Communication Disorders in Adults | 3 |
| CSDI 5760 | Motor Speech Disorders | 3 |
| CSDI 5770 | Multicultural Assessment and Management of Communication Disorders | 2 |
| CSDI 5800 | Professional Issues in Speech-Language Pathology | 1 |
| CSDI 5820 | Cognitive Communication Disorders | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select four credits from the following Electives or six credits in Thesis: | 4-6 | |
| Language Based Literacy Disorders | ||
| Advanced Audiology | ||
| Institute in Comm Disorders | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Thesis Research | ||
| Total Credits | 46-48 | |
Students must complete Clinical Practicum (CSDI 5010 Clinical Practicum Lecture (0 cr)) for five semesters. In the last semester, students complete a 16-week full-time externship, either in an educational setting or in a medical setting (CSDI 5030 Student Teaching in Communication Sciences and Disorders and CSDI 5910 Clinical Internship).
It is a requirement of the communication sciences and disorders graduate program that all students complete a course in Aural Rehabilitation and Neurological Bases of Communication. Students who have not had these courses as an undergraduate will need to take them in the graduate program in addition to the master’s program requirements. These would be required courses rather than electives.
Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.
Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.
Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.
This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summer | Credits | |
| CSDI 5010 | Clinical Practicum Lecture | 0 |
| CSDI 5011 | Clinical Labs | 0 |
| CSDI 5600 | Fluency Disorders | 3 |
| CSDI 5710 | Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Anomalies | 2 |
| CSDI 5890 | Institute in Comm Disorders (Elective) | 2 |
| CSDI 4750 | Neurobases of Communication (if not taken in undergrad) | 3 |
| Credits | 7-10 | |
| Fall | ||
| CSDI 5010 | Clinical Practicum Lecture | 0 |
| CSDI 5012 | Practicum - Campus Clinic | 0 |
| CSDI 5050 | Research for the Clinician | 2 |
| CSDI 5450 | Speech Sound Disorders in Children | 2 |
| CSDI 5550 | Early Childhood Language Disorders | 3 |
| CSDI 5630 | Dysphagia | 3 |
| CSDI 4400 | Aural Rehabilitation (Required if not taken as undergraduate) | 3 |
| Credits | 10-13 | |
| Spring | ||
| CSDI 5010 | Clinical Practicum Lecture | 0 |
| CSDI 5012 | Practicum - Campus Clinic | 0 |
| CSDI 5510 | Social Communication Development and Disorders | 2 |
| CSDI 5560 | School-Age Language Disorders | 3 |
| CSDI 5720 | Neurogenic Communication Disorders in Adults | 3 |
| CSDI 5770 | Multicultural Assessment and Management of Communication Disorders | 2 |
| Credits | 10 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Summer | ||
| CSDI 5010 | Clinical Practicum Lecture | 0 |
| CSDI 5012 or CSDI 5015 |
Practicum - Campus Clinic or Practicum - Offsite Clinic |
0 |
| CSDI 5530 | Augmentative and Alternative Communication | 2 |
| Credits | 2 | |
| Fall | ||
| CSDI 5010 | Clinical Practicum Lecture | 0 |
| CSDI 5012 | Practicum - Campus Clinic | 0 |
| CSDI 5700 | Voice Disorders | 2 |
| CSDI 5760 | Motor Speech Disorders | 3 |
| CSDI 5800 | Professional Issues in Speech-Language Pathology | 1 |
| CSDI 5820 | Cognitive Communication Disorders | 3 |
| CSDI 5580 | Language Based Literacy Disorders (Elective) | 2 |
| Credits | 11 | |
| Spring | ||
| CSDI 5030 or CSDI 5910 |
Student Teaching in Communication Sciences and Disorders or Clinical Internship |
6 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 46-52 | |
Electives: Six credits of electives are required. Thesis credits meet the elective requirements.
All graduate students must complete 46 credits: 40 credits academic and 6 credits of clinical practicum.
Students are required to enroll in one of the clinical practicum courses every semester.
It is a requirement of the communication sciences and disorders graduate program that all students complete a course in Aural Rehabilitation and Neurological Bases of Communication. Students who have not had these courses as an undergraduate will need to take them in the graduate program in addition to the master’s program requirements.
For additional admission questions please contact:
Julie Miller
Recruitment Specialist
314-977-2570
dchs@health.slu.edu